Merry Christmas to All

I would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone enjoys the day. We are having a low key Christmas Eve, grilled pizzas, games and family. Tomorrow, we start early and end late. Every year I say I am going to be more prepared, but I like being out on Christmas Eve Day. I have a little more baking to do. I am sure I can find a few things to wrap! I am taking a blog break until January 1. Taking some time to be with my family and friends and oh yes, do a little shopping. Merry Christmas!!!

December 23, 2008

So much to do today.

White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Treat

Friday, during the fist day of our three day snow storm I made a batch of this tasty white chocolate treat. It is really easy to do. There are many recipes on the Internet. I just combined a few and I was happy with the final product.

Earlier in the day I painted these small pots. Please visit "Cobblestone Farms" blog. Cathy posted them a few days ago. She did such a great job with the ones she made. She is very talented. I have not painted in a while and I had one small brush to paint the snowmen and do the details. Believe me these almost went into the garbage a few times. I had hoped to be a bit more whimsical with them, maybe next year. This year simple snowmen. There was a lot of touching up, I mean a lot. I will certainly buy new brushes. The bags are full of the white chocolate treats. They will be delivered later this week.

Have a wonderful Weekend!

I would like to send everyone who visits my blog a Christmas card. This is the card I sent out this year. The cards I usually make have a snowman or bird on them. This year I wanted to do something a little different. It may not be a conventional card, but I just love this stamp! It reminds me of a dress someone would of worn to a Christmas dance during the 50's. So, since I can not send each and everyone of you a card, I hope this will do.

I took this picture last night about 5:00. I have stated several times that I love the summer. That is still very true. But, there is something about the first snowstorm that just can not be put into words. When it comes a few days before Christmas, even better! After January 1st all I think about is summer. However, for now I will enjoy our snow covered yard. There is another storm predicted for Sunday. We now have ten inches of snow on the ground. I hope it will stay for Christmas. Here in New England, you just never know. It could melt away in a few days.

Snowflakes

I want to share a picture of a cute sign that hangs in my dinning room. My sister-in-law made it a few years back. It is one of my favorite Christmas decorations. I share it with you today because we are expecting our first major snowstorm of the season. They have already closed schools for tomorrow. That is very unusual. So, maybe the weathermen are going to be right and we will get 8-10" they have predicted. I need a snow day!

Gingerbread House

My daughter and I made a ginger bread house earlier this week. It was my first attempt at making this Christmas treat. I have always wanted to make one and I will admit, it was fun.

It was fun until when I went to move it, the side collapsed. We did not want to wait the 15 minutes for the frosting to dry. Lesson learned, next time wait for frosting to dry! It was about 11 PM when we finally finished it. We were making Christmas CD's and just having a nice night! As I usually do, I was turning off all the lights in the house when I heard a noise in the kitchen. Oh yes, total collapse. Next time, really wait the 15 minutes. I went to bed and in the morning I refrosted the walls and roof. It is still standing as I type this 24 hours later. The proof is in the picture!

Quick and Easy Snowmen

We put up our second tree last night. Two trees require a lot of ornaments. Yesterday I bought a 12 pack of frosted ornaments for $2.49. The price was right! Quantity was perfect!

No time to wait for paint to dry, so I used a paint pen to make these little snowmen. However, a few did require a little touching up here and there.

Add a hat and few other touches.

A bit of cute red ribbon and in less than an hour 12 ornaments.

A few Ornments

One tree is up, the other is somewhere in town waiting patiently to be bought. Hopefully, we will get it today. I just checked the weather and snow is in the forecast for tomorrow. It will have to be today! Let me just say it was 62 yesterday, right now as I sit and blog, it is 33. I even heard a little sleet this morning. I know there are others covered with snow and there was an ice storm not far from us. But really, 62 to 33 in less than 24 hours! I made this ornament last year. It is a picture of my two brothers and me many years ago. The little Harry Potter ornament was just something I made over the summer. I did not intend for it to be an ornament. But Harry is big in our house, he looks rather good on the tree.

The Grinch hangs proudly on the tree. I like this ornament. It really isn't one I would go out and buy. Maybe that is why I like it so much. It is unexpected.

I made a few of these the other night. I painted 12 wooden heads with all the confidence that 12 would be made. I completed 4. Well, if I find any time during the next week, maybe I will finish them. If I do, I will post them later! Who am I kidding, most likely it will be next year!

I am off to buy bread and milk as any crazy New Englander will do when it might snow. Not really, if I would buy anything to make it through a snow storm it would be Diet Coke and chips! Actually, I am just going to get a little more shopping done. All I hear is the clock ticking and the temperature falling!!!!

Snowmen

A beautiful white poinsettia and a few snowmen, the house is slowly beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Next, is the tree.

Cut it Out

I am trying not to use my new fantastic image cutting machine, "The Cricut". Why? Because, I would feed pretty paper into it all day. I have my cut off day of December 14 to finish all Christmas projects. But, I had to make this card when I saw the little polar bear cut out! It is for a cute little 3 year old boy. The tree is a cut out! I also cut out his name! You see where this is going, I had to put it away. I would never finish anything else.

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of a little house I covered with paper. I have seen where a lot of people glue them to paper boxes. I put one together, my Mom really liked it and asked if I would make her one to give to a friend. I gave her the original. I love using clear plastic for gift wrapping. It just makes everything look so good! A pretty red bow and a card and it is ready to go!

Needless to say, the tree was cut from "The Cricut" and believe it or not, so was the tag! I may have to extend my cut off date. I love, "The Cricut".

Grinch

I want to share another light bulb Christmas ornament with you. I can not stop making these cute little things. The Grinch is quite a popular Christmas character! Now, I just need to get a tree! Maybe one will just show up on my doorstep!

Lightbulb Snowmen Ornaments

Every year I make a few handmade ornaments for my tree. Last year I found a site that had light bulb ornaments. As usual I ran out of time. This year Carrie at brinoahslittleworld.blogspot.com had a post about light bulbs ornaments. They were just so cute, I had to give them a try this year. I went to the dollar store and bought a 4 pack of light bulbs. (I since have bought a few more packs).
I made a few different kind of ornaments. For the first ornaments I used fabric I had at home. Then Friday I went and bought some red, brown and tan felt. I also bought a package of bells for the tips of their hats.

These are my favorites, so far. I am working on a few others. I just need more red felt for their hats. Now, I just have to put up the Christmas tree! I am anxious to see how they are going to look. Thanks Carrie, for reminding me to make these! Yours were just so cute, I had to give them a try.

Stepping into Christmas

Saturday, I decided to decorate our mantle. Even though I did want to hold off until I could do everything all at once. I bought a few bunches of Christmas greenery and a garland at Jo Ann's on Friday. Everything was 60% off. I am not that big on Christmas decorating. I hate taking it down later!!! I just put up a few things. I love a nice tree and lots of poinsettias and mini twinkle lights. Oh, snow outside is a must. After Christmas the temperatures can rise into the 80's, but I love a white Christmas.

The little bird stays up all year. He looks happy to have a new resting place.

The glass jars have candles in them. They are light once in a while. They look pretty at night when the lights are low.

Ready and Waiting

I did not intend for this Christmas to be all about snowmen, but it seems that the house will be full of them this season. These little guys are all glittered up and waiting to see what will happen to them in the next few days. I hope they are patient because I have quite a lot to do this weekend.

What was I Thinking!

Last night I decided to take a look at all the little crafty things I bought over the past few weeks. This is just a sampling. To say the least, I was surprised at how much there is. I have set a deadline of December 14 for all crafts to be finished! I want to put up two trees this year, at least that is my intention. I want to make as many ornaments as possible. So as I write this I will have 11 days to be creative.

Right now I have household things to do. Then it is off to get food for supper, laundry, dishes, iron a few clothes, make the supper, more dishes, fold the laundry!!!! The glamorous life!

New Season New Banner

Over the weekend I bought a little machine that cuts out the cutest images. It is called the CRICUT. I saw it on an infomercial over the summer. It was half off over at Michael's so I decided it was time to buy. Of course I had buyer's remorse when I got home. It is not cheap.

But once I opened it and my daughter figured out how to use it, I was hooked. We spent most of Sunday afternoon cutting out all types of images.

The little reindeer is so adorable. The snowflakes are, well snowflakes. Who doesn't like a little snowflake now and then? I like paper snowflakes over the frozen kind that accumulate in the yard. We will get a snow storm soon enough.

How about this little piece of greenery? It can also cut out letters faster than I can type the word letters. I see a lot of banners in my future!

Countdown

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. It is so nice to have a long weekend. I did not go shopping at 5 AM on Friday. I am not a morning person! I made a few of these countdown to Christmas chalkboards last week before my attention turned to Thanksgiving dinner. I like the idea of putting them on an easel. That way they can go on a desk, the counter or even a night stand. I think kids would like to keep track of how many days until Santa arrives. For me, I can not believe it is already 24 days.

This is the first one I made. After making the other two, this chalkboard needs a little more do- dads added to it! This always happens to me. It will be "do-dadded up" by tonight. Then I must give them out before the end of the week. Let the countdown begin!